Guidance

A5/2019 (revised) Sheltered and extra care supported accommodation – New LA IT functionality requirement

Updated 10 July 2019

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-benefit-adjudication-circulars-2019/a52019-revised-sheltered-and-extra-care-supported-accommodation-new-la-it-functionality-requirement

Who should read

All Housing Benefit staff

Action

For information

Subject

Sheltered and extra care supported accommodation – New LA IT functionality requirement.

Revisions

We apologise for any inconvenience but this circular is being re-issued with revised wording in order to provide clarity on the description of sheltered and extra care supported accommodation and which claims should be recorded.

Guidance Manual

The information in this circular does not affect the content of the HB Guidance Manual.

Queries

For extra copies of this circular/copies of previous circulars

For content of this circular, contact Richard Ward at housing.benefitenquiries@dwp.gov.uk

For distribution of this circular, contact housing.correspondenceandpqs@dwp.gov.uk

Background

1. The government made an announcement on the future funding of supported housing in August 2018. This included keeping all supported housing within the Welfare System and committing to develop a new oversight regime to ensure quality and value for money.

2. As part of this the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intends to gather further information regarding:

  • sheltered and extra care supported accommodation
  • eligible service charges paid through Housing Benefit (HB) - an update on this was provided in June’s LAWD6/2019 advising local authorities (LAs) not to populate the eligible service charges field until further notice.

3. This additional information will provide a better understanding on the breakdown of supported housing provision and better oversight of the estimated £4 billion spend on supported housing through HB each year - DWP - 2016, Supported Accommodation Review.

4. DWP commissioned LA IT software suppliers to develop new functionality on all LA IT systems in order to capture this information from 1 April 2019.

5. IT software suppliers have informed DWP that the software changes required have been implemented that will enable LAs to complete the recording DWP need.

6. These changes will sit alongside the information currently recorded on short-term and long-term specified accommodation as introduced in April 2018 – see circular HB A4/2018 - revised for further information. Together, the information will provide a fuller data picture for all types of supported accommodation

Action and timings for LAs

7. From 1 April 2019, LAs are asked to identify HB sheltered and extra care supported accommodation cases when assessing new HB claims or changes of circumstances and record this information via their LA IT systems.

Process for recording on LA IT systems

8. LAs are asked to identify and record in the new Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE) field all cases which meet both the:

  • definition of specified accommodation as set out in regulations -see circular HB A8/2014
  • description of either sheltered or extra care accommodation detailed further below

Definition of sheltered and extra care supported accommodation

9. Although sheltered and extra care housing is not specifically defined in HB regulations, it is a well-established entity within the supported housing sector.

10. When identifying which types of specified accommodation should be recorded in the SHBE field, the following categories of accommodation should be regarded as sheltered accommodation or extra care:

  • sheltered housing is housing designated for occupation mainly by over-55s with lower-level care and support needs. The majority of residents are above the state pension age, but some are of working age. Their needs are at least in part met by extra housing facilities and services available to residents.

  • extra care housing like sheltered housing is also designated for occupation mainly by over-55s but with higher level support and care to help residents live independently (for example, where the likely alternative might be a residential care home).

11. If a claim matches the description given above, then LAs should follow their IT software supplier’s release note to record these claims on their IT systems. If you have not received these notes you should contact your IT software supplier in the first instance. There is no requirement to separate out extra care from sheltered housing on systems.

12. However, as explained in paragraph 8, sheltered or extra care supported accommodation claims should only be recorded if they meet the definition for supported exempt/specified accommodation as set out in regulations. If the definition for supported exempt/specified accommodation has not been met, then the sheltered accommodation field should not be completed. To clarify, we are only asking LAs to identify specified accommodation cases that are sheltered or extra care housing.

Short-term and long-term supported housing

13.There is also a continued request for LAs to identify and record short-term and long-term supported accommodation cases as outlined in HB circular A4/2018 - revised for further information and as instructed in your IT software supplier notes.

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